GRUB autoloading Linux setup

[Yamaneko]

It automounts at startup. fstab:

# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# <file system> <mount point>   <type>  <options>       <dump>  <pass>
proc            /proc           proc    defaults        0       0
/dev/hda5       /               reiserfs defaults        0       1
/dev/hda3       /boot           ext2    defaults        0       2
/dev/hda6       /home           reiserfs defaults        0       2
/dev/hda7       /mnt/shareddisk          vfat     defaults        0       0
/dev/hda8       none            swap    sw              0       0
/dev/hdc        /media/cdrom0   udf,iso9660 ro,user,noauto  0       0
/dev/hdd        /media/cdrom1   udf,iso9660 ro,user,noauto  0       0
/dev/fd0        /media/floppy0  auto    rw,user,noauto  0       0

[Endless]

Try making the grub.conf then, on my system, menu.lst is just a symlink to grub.conf.

[Dr Unne]

On mine as well.

[Yamaneko]

I placed it in the same directory as menu.lst. It didn't do anything. Maybe the MBR is just screwed up?

[Endless]

Might be. Try setting hda3 as bootable (instead of hda1, see the fdisk output), and then use grub-install or whatever the command is in Ubuntu.

Edit: if all else fail, try lilo?

[Kakashi509]

hmm try buying a new computer

[Yamaneko]

Yay! We know what it is, I think. GRUB is loading, but not displaying itself. If I move the arrow keys around, I can eventually find Windows and when I hit enter, bootup Windows. I was just in Windows. Unne thinks it could be a framebuffer problem because when I get to the GDM and ctrl+alt F1, I can get to the console which shows me all the modules loaded during the bootup.

[Dr Unne]

I really don't know. If it is a framebuffer issue, you can try a kernel parameter in your grub.conf like vga=785 . http://www.antlinux.com/pmwiki/pmwik...owTos.VgaModes

EDIT: http://portal.suse.com/sdb/en/2002/1...blackinst.html may also be helpful, even though it's for SUSE.

[Endless]

I guess you can try messing with the color parameters in the grub config file, or use a theme (http://www.ubuntuguide.org/#displaysplashimagegrub) for it.

Edit: parameters like what Unne suggests only affect the system that you boot, not grub itself, afaik.

[Yamaneko]

Ok, so what are my options here? I rather not have a splash screen.

[Endless]

Why not? O_o

[Yamaneko]

With a splash screen would I be able to ctrl+alt F1 and see the console? Sometimes it's important to see what's loading.

[Endless]

The link I gave (http://www.ubuntuguide.org/#displaysplashimagegrub) is is for grub theming, not boot-time splashscreens (that's bootsplash or fbsplash that do it, and it's done right after grub loaded whatever kernel and initrd you chose, it's independant of grub). If you check my grub.conf, the line that says "splashimage=(hd0,6)/grub/splash.xpm.gz" is what theme grub uses, and the splashscreen (which you can default to verbose, btw, like I do) is the line part "splash=verbose,theme:emergence" in the kernel line.

[Yamaneko]

I tried it. All I get now is a blank screen with a blinking underscore in the top-left of the screen. I'm still able to guess the location of the Windows entry. I hit the arrow key four times.

[Endless]

Make sure the path to the ubuntu.xpm.gz (assuming you got that one) is correct.

From a command line(as root, or using su): grub
Then at the grub prompt: cat (hd0
and press tab to find the partition that matches where /boot is then keep using autocompletion until you have the path checked (for example "(hd0,6)/grub/splash.xpm.gz" for me).